SAN FRANCISCO _ Signaling a shift in Airbnb's contentious fight with its hometown, the home-sharing company has announced it will help San Francisco enforce its short-term rental rules.
Airbnb, which has fought bitterly against San Francisco policies it deemed restrictive _ even taking the city to court _ has agreed to cooperate with city officials to make sure landlords on the platform register with the city and comply with its 90-day short-term rental cap. The company has agreed to give the city information on landlords and guests who use the platform, including addresses, contact information and the number of nights rooms are booked. And Airbnb says it is willing to work with the city to prevent bad actors from abusing the platform and violating city law.
"There's a clear path forward to fix our short-term rental rules that protects housing and neighborhood quality of life in San Francisco," Chris Lehane, global head of policy and public affairs at Airbnb, wrote in an op-ed published in the San Francisco Chronicle. "We recognize the work we need to do and we are eager to be a better partner with the city in the years to come."
The about-face comes less than a week after a federal judge in San Francisco shot down Airbnb's attempt to prevent the city from enforcing part of its short-term rental ordinance. Airbnb had been fighting the city's intent to hold the company liable for illegal rentals booked through the platform.
